Element of Nobunaga
by Morality is a Spook
Summary: Inside a burning temple the would be conqueror of Japan finds another purpose, in another world Fire threatens the harmony of the world. Can the man who engulfed his world in fire douse it in another? Of course he can! The real question is: Will he? Nobunaga/Fem!Zuko/Mai/Ty Lee (Featuring little genderbending and OC's)
1. Chapter 1

Element of Nobunaga

Disclaimer: ATLA franchise doesn't belong to me!

**To summarize the plot**: A path to peace isn't bloodless and the arrival of Sengoku's mightiest warlord changes the world. To put it mildly, no one is keen to welcome the newcomer.

A.n: I hope I will do this magnificent bastard justice.

_Chapter one: Pilot- We're off to see the Kami…_

Temple of Honnō-ji 1582

The orange flames swirled around the temples support beams as two men faced each other. Uncaring of the heat in the room increasing or of tongues of fire slowly encircling them they both stood face to face, weapons drawn , like two predators with their teeth barred each unwilling to back down. Oda Ufu Nobunaga, Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, unifier of Japan betrayed by his retainer Akechi Mitsuhide , the reason of this treason was unknown why Mitsuhide would have the gall to rise against his lord, but the fact remained, he had betrayed him, betrayed Nobunaga, He would _**pay**_.

Without uttering a word they both clashed with mighty strikes which would have shattered lesser men. This was a clash of monsters and only the strongest one would walk away with the spoils while the other would perish in the smouldering fires of the Honnō-ji.

Nobunaga swung his nodachi at the traitor with all his might almost cleaving him in half, but unfortunately Mitsuhide managed to jump right out of the way using the opportunity to collapse one of the support beams blocking the exit to Nobunagas left side leaving him able to block his master's exit. Without wasting a moment Mitsuhide swung his sword to collapse the other support beam and trap his master, but as he moved to finish his task, his right hand exploded in shower of flesh and bone as Nobunaga fired his flintlock pistol, grabbing the nodachi with the other hand he began slowly walk towards the treacherous swine.

Akechi Mitsuhides life seemed to flash before his eyes, but he quickly shook himself out of his stupor and grasped the blade with his good hand and in desperation smashed the wooden pole with all his might as his betrayed master was almost upon him. Surely it was divine interference just as the head of Oda clan was about to claim Mitsuhide's, the flaming debris fell upon the mighty lord.

Trapped beneath the burning wood the warlord let out a string of curses as he tried somehow to liberate himself from his fiery tomb. Mitsuhide looked at him with sorrow in his eyes and everything became clear to Sengoku's mightiest. The traitorous retainer turned around and hurried out of the burning room leaving his friend burning beneath the fires of Honnō-ji.

_ Have I really lost the sight of my true goal all along, Mitsuhide?_

The warlord knew he wouldn't survive this betrayal, but if anything Hideyoshi would take up the gauntlet of challenge and fulfil his dream of unified land. And so the daimyo closed his eyes and embraced oblivion.

_So this must be hell, _thought Nobunaga as he surveyed the sight before him. This Hell seemed to take on appearance of an endless plain covered in mist with long grass swinging in the light wind; it certainly wasn't the sixth one...

He slowly drew his sword, certain that the calm plain was just an illusion before he would be forcefully yanked to the court of Kami to be sentenced for the many crimes he had committed in life. His only hope was that he would meet Mitsuhide soon. But apparently this wasn't meant to be as the mist evaporated in an instant revealing a majestic golden road in the middle of the plain leading up to a golden hill surrounded by a forest of red and silver pikes holding the helms of noble samurai. A gust of wind blew from behind, subtly leading the fallen conqueror to his last journey before his sentence, however torturous it might be.

_Well, it just wouldn't do to keep the deities waiting_ grinned the leader of Oda clan as he strolled down the gold pawed road completely, unaware of the mist covering his helm he had left behind when he had come into this strange realm. As he neared the hill the sound of chiming bells grew louder and the windpipes joined the bells creating a serene melody calming the spirit of those approaching. As Nobunaga walked he polished his pistol and cleaned his katana of enemy blood; after all he needed to look presentable for the judgement before the gods.

As he was within the great forest of spears, the wind and calming melody disappeared replaced with uncomfortable silence. _This is it…_Nobunaga thought as he drew his blade preparing to face whatever they happened to throw at him.

From the depths of the forest rose numerous figures. The gathering crowd varied from highborn samurais to dirty peasant farmers, dressed in the same clothes they had worn in life, tarnished with their own blood and educing a soft red glow but all of them spoke in the same empty voices accusing him of his crimes.

"_**Your men dishonoured my sister and slaughtered her children" **_a peasant farmer with eyes gouged out and throat slit shouted whilst brandishing a pitchfork.

If he had been younger Nobunaga would have grieved upon the innocent victims of war, but he was long past caring as he turned to face other voices coming from the other side of the road.

"_**My family starved to death when your soldiers took our rice and cattle" **_accused peasant woman cradling a babe in her arms. He had always known there would be strife caused by the flames of war he had fanned and had sought to conquer, but the fearless warlord regretted the little people caught in the way of his ambitions.

"_**You killed my brothers and left their bodies to be the feast for the crows"**_ shouted one of the samurais carrying the symbol of the Azai clan as he moved in to cut down the warlord, but Nobunaga wasn't keen on perishing before his trial before the gods, so he unceremoniously unsheathed his nodachi and stabbed the restless spirit between the neck-guard as he had done in the battle where his brother-in-law had betrayed him.

The spirit disappeared by turning into a butterfly and fluttering into the cloudy sky. This one was only one of the many vengeful spirits seeking Nobunagas demise, but the samurai warlord was undeterred and with a swift swing he cut off the heads of two monks, who had perished in Nobunagas onslaught on Enryaku-ji mountain monastery while with the matchlock pistol held in another hand blew away another samurai from Takeda clan. No matter how many Nobunaga had to cut down others rose in their fallen comrade's place.

With the corner of the eye Nobunaga saw another group rise within the forest and march towards him, now the aged warlord new it was a time to momentarily retreat as even he couldn't defeat them all. Nobunaga rushed further ahead of the road, but seeing the second party of spirits gathered there made him wish he had brought his rifle with him, it seemed that he wouldn't be able to plead his case to the unforgiving gods and maybe it would be for the best.

His only regret would be that he couldn't see Kitsuko for one last time. But he was Nobunaga, he who had risen from a lowly clan to the leader of the largest faction in the Sengoku Era, whose name would be remembered for the centuries to come. He would go down fighting if it was the last thing he would do.

As he surveyed the other party a part of him eased while his calculative mind advised caution, the other spirits had been his loyal followers and soldiers who had sacrificed their lives so that he could succeed in his quest for peace and unity. It seemed that they had come to fight by his side for the last time, but maybe they felt betrayed by him and also wished for his demise. Nobunaga wasn't careless so he readied his sword and slid into his stance.

One nameless samurai wearing a silver tengu helm raised his fist in the air and shouted atop of his lungs **"MY BRETHEREN! MASTER NOBUNAGA IS HERE! HE TOOK GOOD CARE OF US IN THAT WORLD AND IT HIGH IS TIME WE CAN SERVE OUR LORD ONE FINAL TIME IN THIS ONE! SHOKUN…CHARGE!"**

With these words the gold clad soldiers charged the restless spirit horde seeking to harm their lord. Nobunaga was stupefied for a moment, how could anyone risk their lives for him? When he had so carelessly used his tools and allies, but the daimyo was interrupted from his musings by the demon mask wearing samurai who put his hand on the warlords shoulder and spoke "_You shouldn't be late, her time to see you is running out and the deities are growing impatient_", but before Nobunaga could retort, the masked warrior had already joined the fray and danced across the battlefield cutting down foes left and right with his two curved swords.

"Heh…She is waiting for me…Hold on Kitsuko I'm coming!" muttered the warlord as he ran further along the road echoes of clashing steel diminishing as he neared the golden hill, closer to his lover and mother of his children.

The hope in his heart had been rekindled and he would be damned if he would let anyone stop him.

By the time Nobunaga had left the forest of swords the swordsmen and other restless spirits disappeared as they had never existed only one left was the strange samurai with the tengu helm, who now wore a cloak made of sewn butterflies. "_You are an interesting one, Oda Nobunaga_" the spirit said to no one in particular as he looked in the distance and sighed "_I sure hope you know what are you doing Agni, meddling with Sussano-dono's favourite champion…_" shaking his head the spirit covered himself with his strange cloak and disappeared in a torrent of black butterflies.

Nobunaga's muscles ached, despite the exhaustion the warlord would reach her even if he would die after that, he could care less about the gods, and only thing on his mind was to reach his lost lover. His armour rattled and clanked as he charged to the grand staircase before the golden hill. As he was about to walk through the wooden gate, but his path had been blocked by a huge spirit dressed in furs with the horns of the ox and the face – a mixture of Tigers and mans, that was an Oni from the old folk tales.

Nobunaga had never paid attention to this sort of nonsense, but now he regretted it immensely, but his resolve hardened and he gave a short ceremonial bow and tried to reason with the beast

"Spirit of the gate, please let me pass. I have my` judgement to attend."

The Oni just snorted and pulled the large spiked club over his right shoulder.

_How dare this creature stop Nobunaga _thought the warlord angrily, but suddenly a stray thought crept upon him and a terrible grin etched itself on Nobunagas face as he put on a contemplative look on his face and started fiddling behind his back.

Of course the Oni was intrigued of what the strange soul was doing behind his back; unable to sate his curiosity the demon reached down to the puny man and asked "Human. What are you doing behind your back?"

Nobunaga just sighed and from behind his back he drew a strange object in bent shape with a hole in one end. It dawned to the demon; the human was carrying a good pipe probably filled with fancy herbs gathered from Tengu Mountains, as the previous souls of importance who had been brought here had always carried one, those highborn arrogant spirits never even gave him even a single whiff from, kami knew when he would get another chance and the Keeper of the gate would get his fee for passage.

"Human, give me the pipe."

"No."

Oni growled. No one, NO ONE had dared to disobey the keeper of the gate unless they loved the pain and the man in front of him seemed intelligent enough to understand who was the top spirit in here.

"Why not?" Oni growled

"Because I'm afraid that you will break it" Nobunaga retorted waiting for the dumb bastard to take the bait.

"I won't" replied the Oni with a slight huff

"Alright" the warlord sighed as he 'unwillingly' handed the 'pipe' to Oni, who gleefully snatched it out of Nobunagas hands and put it inside his mouth. Nobunaga couldn't believe his luck, the stupid oaf had really put it into his mouth, and thankfully he did have a reserve one just in case.

"But be cautious…This is a very complicated pipe, guardian. You should use with care…To prepare the tobacco you must pull the little metal spring at the end of it and then pull the small steel trigger which shall release the fire, but whatever you do, do not pull those at the same time ,then nothing will happen" he cautioned the guardian and took a step back.

The Oni fulfilled the instructions to the letter and instead of receiving a huff he received a puff and lead into his skull. The monster stumbled and fell on the gold pawed road as its blue green blood pooled from his head.

Oda Nobunaga just smirked smugly as he pulled the pistol out of the deceased creatures mouth and unsheathed his sword, after all one does not simply kill a demon on the way of meeting gods so after a brief moment of cutting, a large demonic head hung on his right shoulder-guard. He walked through the gate and rushed up the stone staircase leading to his destiny.

It had taken a long time and he was exhausted, but at last he had reached the top of the hill and before the golden ruby gate waited his favourite concubine and the mother of his children – Lady Kitsuko Ikoma.

Her long white kimono flew in the wind as she slowly walked towards him. Sometimes in his dreams she had appeared in multitude of forms, but nor any other woman nor dream, nor conquest could replace the gaping hole in his hearth which he had reluctantly acknowledged , but still he forced himself onward in memory of her and all he had sacrificed for his cause.

Nobunaga had never hoped to see her since her funeral at Kori castle when he had held her body close to his and mourned his lost love, but there she was in flesh, his personal goddess whom he had devoted most of the scarce free time that hadn't been spent plotting or fighting to unify the fractured Nippon. The mightiest warlord of Sengoku era fell down on his knees and for the first time since her death allowed himself to cry. Those weren't tears of sadness, but those of joy. He had been reunited with her as Izanagi had been with Izanami in Yomi, but unlike Izanagi he wouldn't leave her no matter what.

Kitsuko knelt in the front of her lover and caressed his cheek nudging him to stand up. The warlord stood up and quickly wiped the tears on his face and enveloped his concubine into loving embrace. Time seemed to stop for a moment as Nobunaga captured her lips with a passionate kiss.

Tongues and lips fought for dominance unaware of their owners feelings as the two recalled the numerous passion filled nights in master bedroom ,alone or accompanied by other women, the truth was she was the only one whose pleasure had mattered to Nobunaga, besides his own and she knew she was the only one he ever held dear in the deepest pits of his heart , which was covered by ambition and bloodlust , the things more commonly associated with him – The Devil King of Sixth Heaven, Minister of Right – Oda Ufu Nobunaga.

The two finally separated gasping for non-existent oxygen and gazed in each other's eyes, both filled with love for the other , but as the clan head was about to utter something , Kitsuko pressed her manicured fingers to his lips and interrupted him nary a whisper.

"I don't need no words that could tell me how much you care for me, but I am here not for a long time and your trial shall begin shortly, so we do not possess a fraction of time we both deserve for ourselves so I will settle for another kiss…" and with that the petite woman tugged on his armour bringing the large man to her eye level and kissed him passionately. It was a kiss of promise and of good fortune that Nobunaga would need in the upcoming ordeal. It was a kiss exchanged as he had mounted his brave steed in the past before the skirmishes and after them Oda Nobunaga would always return.

Kitsuko was glad she had died before what happened to her lover that he was facing this place, for had she not died of illness she would have died of broken heart. As she released the warlord from the kiss, Nobunaga put his hands on the sides of her shoulders and then she immediately noticed the Oni's head strapped to the shoulder-guard.

"W-w-what is that?" she stuttered as she pointed at the demonic head. Nobunaga just laughed and pointed at the head

"Oh, him? This unkind demon did not let me pass through the gate to these stairs. I asked once, he refused, the second try didn't work so then I introduced him to _Tenka Fubu_" he finished for a moment looking like any other male specimen showing off the trophy to his spouse.

Kitsuko just smiled and Nobunaga's face suddenly grew serious as he looked into her cerulean blue eyes and said clearly as if there was anyone who or what was listening to his wow

"No matter what happens, no matter where I go, no matter what their judgement is I'm going to see you once again, though heaven bar the way and hell trying to drag me down I _**will **_return to you once this is over, my only wish is for you to wait for me."

With that he pecked her on the forehead hooked her arm into his elbow and together they walked to the jewelled gate hand in hand. As they were about to enter the gate Kitsuko untangled herself from his arm and turned to him.

"What do you have to fear beyond this door, Kitsuko?" Nobunaga asked clearly puzzled, why would she remain here, why would she abandon him? She smiled sadly and told him what she felt and what he needed to know "The path forward into the hall of gods is made only for one Oda Nobunaga, not anyone else whoever they might be, they are just cruel like that and besides I have waited for you 16 years ,what is a dozen more? I know that you will never forget me, like those who you counted as family, wherever you will go, whatever you will do, whoever you will let into your heart always remember that I will love you! " Nobunaga smiled as he walked towards her for one final time and once in reach plucked her ornate hair tie from her letting the smooth ebony hair fall free from her elaborate coiffure.

In Kitsukos eyes tears started forming as her lover tied it around the armguard of his blade to remind himself of the promise he had made for her. Then he turned around and walked to the door. He pulled the door ring with all his might and the golden door opened with a slight creek swallowing Nobunagas form in sea of golden light.

Kitsuko could make out only the silhouette of the man she loved before he walked into the light.

The last thing she heard from Oda Nobunaga was

"Sayonara Kitsuko! Wait for me! If you won't be there when I return I will burn down heaven and make hell tremble just to find you. Ja ne Kitsuko-chan!"

And then he was gone . the Woman shook her head at his last words and slowly walked towards the cherry tree she had been sitting before she had heard the news of his arrival. A smile etched itself on Kitsuko's face; she would hold him to his promise.

This wasn't what Nobunaga had been expecting when he had entered the strange door, instead of a grand gathering of deities each cursing or praising him myriad of ways, instead it was a gateway to the old dojo where he had trained as a boy in Owari.

The room was decorated with various weapons the leader of Oda clan had used in battle and taken as trophies from his fallen enemies and in the middle of the room at tea table sat two elderly men each clad in rich yet simple robes educing aura of authority and raw power, yet it seemed they had left a place for him as there was a third cup of tea waiting for someone.

Oda took off his battle boots and did a full customary bow and only then he dared to sit beside the unknown deities. Nobunaga was afraid, but it wasn't the useless fear which urged to run from an honourable battle, no this was the cautious fear many felt when they had bargained with him, but he squashed the feeling for this meeting and took the cup of tea in his gauntleted hand. Both deities instantly had their eyes on him, but with his face calm Nobunaga simply sipped the tea and raised an eyebrow as he began "You have summoned me here Kami, for what reason I might not know ,but I suspect this isn't a show of mercy Izanagi-sama and, forgive me I just can't recognize you…"

" Agni" replied the other elder clad in the golden red robe

"Izanagi-sama, Agni what is that you require from this villainous soul?" Nobunaga asked with a slight smirk upon his face. Izanagi put down his cup and the tea table turned into a map of a world, Nobunaga could see different colourings and symbols, similar to his own, but still incomprehensible to his mind.

"This is the world of Agni, governed by assembly of spirits and split into four elements: water; earth; air and fire. Due to unforeseen ambition and a neglectful guardian the world has fallen into decline for the last hundred years" Izanagi swirled his tea and the map changed indicating the change of the borders it seemed that the Fire oriented country had spread from their little islands and occupied a large territories in Earth countries land, while Air country was annihilated, as Nobunaga's face took a contemplative look Izanagi decided it was time to continue with their little presentation

"Air Nomads, peaceful people, monks'' at this Nobunaga simply chuckled.

Therefore getting a glare from Agni ''murdered by the fire lord Sozin, the Avatar shirked his duties and doomed millions of innocents. This world is special. Each nation possesses benders, people with the ability to bend the elements to their will, for example a firebender can shoot out bursts of flame from his hands , while an earthbender can use his power to make walls almost instantly, however the Avatar can do all of that and more, who however has been missing for hundreds of year frozen into the ice. The Fire Nation has access to advanced technology and has propaganded elemental superiority drilled into their minds since childhood. The other nations are at its mercy until someone does something."

Izanagi finished and took his cup again and drank savouring the sweet herbal tea gathered from Amaterasu's garden. Nobunagas grin now seemed to split his face as he now fully realised the situation, these two deities wanted him to stop the expansion of this Fire Nation seemingly with any means necessary which seemed to amuse the warlord even more. Nobunaga took another sip from his cup of tea.

"Is that so? I am honoured for your trust in me, but I'm, but a common man a few years short from midlife, who will be relatively useless, so what aids will you mighty deities bestow to me in this difficult task?" Nobunaga asked carefully keeping his voice in check so that he seemed humble, yet eager enough to complete the task assigned to him. This time it was Agni who spoke this time

"You are quite insolent, but a man of your accomplishments is ought to be so prideful. We will aid you as you will need resources to start your task, so I will give you the gift of knowledge of the current events in the land, in addition your body will return to its prime till Fire Lord Ozai last draws breath. From what I have heard about you, Oda Nobuanga, you will make any situation to be of your advantage. You will be entertaining to watch as for Izanagi , he will tell you of his aid soon enough" Agni finished his explanation and put his cup on the table showing the history of their world.

Nobunaga may not have been the best of fathers, but what Ozai had done to his twelve year old daughter after that war meeting was beyond line he wouldn't have ever tried to cross, he didn't actively try to murder children, he knew there had been casualties in the war, but to maim your daughter, essentially ruin her value as a tool and exile her to chase after folk tales which was just plain stupid. At least the girl would have her two loyal friends and uncle with her, unbeknown to herself Zuki would become the central piece in the war for the control of the world, heh the fools wouldn't know what hit them. _I will introduce this naïve world to Tenka Fubu and drink sake from Ozai's skull, Heheheheheheheheh, this will be so much fun... _

Izanagi and Agni exchanges worried looks with each other as Nobunagas face twisted in a nasty looking smile, while a small trickle of drool ran down his cheek. Izanagi just took his fan and bashed the warlord on the back of his head bringing him out of his daydreams of conquest. "If you would be so kind and return from the realm of dreams, there will be an aide from me, you can choose one from all of my yokai to assist you on your journey to placate that realm" Nobunaga thought long and hard of what kind of servant he would need to accomplish the task most effectively. Oni would be useless, while a tengu wouldn't be able to blend in as well and kappa wouldn't have a chance against the adversaries he would be facing- being a water spirtit, it seemed he would need a nekomata, two tailed shape shifter and a blood-drinking assassin, yes it would do just fine.

"I humbly wish of you mighty Izanagi to grant me one of your Nekomata for my quest" Nobunaga said as he drank the last of his tea and thanked his hosts. As he put his cup down the surface of the table turned into a mirror, while the warlord felt his body changing and twisting as his beard disappeared and hair grew into the wild black mane he had been sporting in his younger, wilder days. When he looked into the mirror surface in the table he saw a young man not looking over twenty with his armour, only thing indicating it was him, was the cut off head on Oni still dangling from his shoulder guard. Izanagi snapped his fingers and with a blue cloud appeared and transformed, shaping the mass into a black cat with two tails and electric blue silted eyes .The cat shifted shapes before Nobunagas very eyes into what looked like a completely ordinary woman, if eerily beautiful, with twin tails whose white tips could be seen outside of her kimono, she did a small bow and stood beside her new master and purred.

"I take this is my new retainer…What is your name my dear?" Nobunaga asked with curiosity as he scratched the woman behind her ears rewarding the warlord with a purr from his new servant. "_I am Nibi, Nobunaga-sama, I am looking forwards of learning the truth about those rumours spread by the women of your court_" she purred as both of her tails curled around his forceps. The former daimyo continued to scratch the catlike woman while he turned his attention to the both gods in front of him "Before I take my leave, are there directives or rules that I should be aware of?"

Izanagi and Agni exchanged glances once again and the god of fire coughed and composed himself before declaring laws the warlord would obey unless he knew what was good for his afterlife.

"Firstly you shan't kill or irreversibly harm the Avatar, secondly genocide is strictly prohibited as there must be balance and lastly you are forbidden to take a direct leadership of any nation or army." he said sternly giving Nobunaga a look, which promised pain if he broke one of them. Thankfully he had given him law full of loopholes, which the ambitious lord could use to his advantage and with that little hint in the end of the sentence his task was clear as day. Nobunaga just smiled happily and turned his attention to the yokai

"Nibi assume your nekomata form" he ordered his new retainer and in the place of the Geisha sat a beautiful, twin tailed, black cat, who swiftly climbed up on the warlords shoulder opposite the demonic head and mewed begging for the attention from her master. Nobunaga petted his demonic minion once more and declared jovially "I'm ready Agni, let me begin my task"

Agni sighed as he rubbed his temple and with a wave of his hand a shimmering doorway appeared showing the warlord a stone fort high in the mountains. The Devil King of Sixth Heaven donned his combat boots and with the last wave of his hand the devilish warlord and the demonic cat vanished in into the portal, which closed after the sheath of the sword had left the realm.

Izanagi calmly finished his tea while Agni paced around the room

"Are you sure, that he is the right person for this Izanagi?" inquired Agni

Izanagi just pulled out a pipe and lit it on fire with his fingers and looking at his fellow creator he raised an eyebrow in Nobunaga-esque fashion and asked "Do you want to try the samurai with that stupid reverse sword style of his, at least with Tenka Fubu Nobunaga has a chance to succeed." Izanagi finished with a sardonic smirk, while Agni just huffed and asked his fellow creator "What do you think he will do?"

"Probably deflower the nekomata first and then create a multi-elemental warband devastating their enemies and when his path will cross with the fire princess, he will play her knight in shining armour and use her to dethrone Ozai and win her devotion, have an orgy with multiple women at the same time, spawn a multiple brats, die together with his concubines and wife, return here, sleep with Kitsuko, introduce her with his other lovers and then have another orgy and once again return here and ask for a similar task, which I will politely turn down and then he will enjoy the afterlife competing with various tacticians and entertaining his women." Izanagi said it with a completely straight face. Even Koh would have trouble reading his expression.

"How can you be so sure? Isn't it a bit too much? A man can get so lucky once in his lifetime…" Agni asked sceptically, this reeked of foreshadowing…

"Who knows? Future isn't set in stone, care to make a bet old friend?" asked Izanagi wiggling his bushy white eyebrows. Agni's face split into a grin and he looked his friend in the eye and called his bluff

"So…on who we are placing the bets this time?"

"You know there was this failed painter with a great talent for public speaking…"

_**A.N: F*ck yeah! 5 flippin' thousands take that my willpower! Sorry, longest written chapter to date, little bit hyped right now. Next time in Element of Nobunaga- battle for the fort of stone and rampaging rhinos, 100% more assholery and badassness brought to you by Sengokus mightiest! Leave a review for your thoughts on this little piece. Have a nice day and I'll see you soon (hopefully)!**_

_**~Spook**_


	2. Chapter 2- The Shogun

Element of Nobunaga

Disclaimer: ATLA franchise doesn't belong to me!

**To summarize the plot**: A path to peace isn't bloodless and the arrival of Sengoku's mightiest warlord changes the world. To put it mildly, no one is keen to welcome the newcomer.

_Chapter 1-The Shogun_

**Somewhere in Earth Kingdom, 3 years prior to the awakening, a day after the Agni Kai of Princess Zuki**

Zaichi Teico hated how his life had turned out as he marched through the forest.

He was highborn noble, born in Caldera itself, unlike this colonial trash that could barely read their orders, unlike himself who prided himself knowledgeable in most dialects of Earth Kingdom and could carry a conversion in the barbaric tongue of Water Tribes. In his head he dubbed these fellow soldiers Thing #1 and Thing #2.

It was not because he didn't bother to learn their names, no the reasoning behind this was that they were so alike in their dull looks and even duller minds that they were twins from different parents. They had only three characteristics that made them different from the living dead of the Koh: their love for alcohol, women and the power to take punishment. He had seen them take blows from Earthbenders that would have crippled lesser men. The two muscle bound morons,however, were only a part of his problem.

His superior was another, in Zaichi's mind even a toddler could do a better job. Major Dunga was incompetent as they came. He was little better than the Tings #1 and #2, but it was obvious to the few competent men in their unit that it was only through blatant nepotism and brown-nosing he had gotten his post. Not that there was something wrong a little bit of flattery, but he didn't even try to be subtle about it. As the disgruntled soldier stepped over a root, he continued the rant in his head.

In the end, which was apparently was 10 minutes, the former heir of Teico family had come to the real issue of this- his disownment. He hated himself for this.

A simple kindness had taken his future. Zaichi had loved his stepmothers maid that had been originally bought as a slave near one of the more recent colonies. Stepmother and the rest of his family had treated her like a dumb pet, one people would try to impress other people with. He had been stupid enough to fall in love with her and it was enough for his rapid enlistment and dispatch to this cesspool. The fact that he wasn't gifted with firebending may have been another cause.

Now he was stuck in a penal battalion, surrounded and led by morons and committing horrors that made even his nightmares have nightmares, memories of the last village came to the forefront of his thoughts and he subconsciously shivered. This of course didn't increase his reverence to the Dragon Throne.

The youth clenched his poleaxe in his hand and slung it over his shoulder and continued the trek.

"Ne, Zaichi" Thing #1 spoke up, making the disowned noble turn his head

"Yea?"

"Have you sampled tha merch?" he asked and his cohort nodded his head, waiting for an answer.

The soldier in question exhaled through his nose and shook his head "Do you look like I'm made of money?"

"Well …you are a Cappie"

A Cappie?!

Zaishi's brows furrowed and he gritted his teeth and clenched the polearm even harder. The darkness inherent to all men told him that nobody would miss them, but the sensible part of him told him to rein in his horses.

"I'd rather take a whore at proper town, who knows what these girls might have and besides we all know that Major set the outrageous rates only to line his pockets even more."

"Out-what?" Thing #1 asked, but didn't have to wait long as Thing #2 jabbed an elbow in his stomach and explained

"It means really high, right Zaichi?" the man said, and a smile appeared on his face as the "Cappie" nodded.

The youngest of the trio was thankful that they were almost at the end of the patrol as he could the marker- a single tree reduced almost to ash, standing proud in the middle of the forest. Sighing with relief the man pulled at his collar and proceeded forward with a leisurely pace. Something ahead slightly shook some bush and Zaichi silenced the blabbering behind him and pointed at the location he had spotted the movement. Approaching slowly, Zaichi raised his weapon, but then something jumped out the bush and hurried past him. It looked like a tiger snake, but with legs and two tails, huh, he had never heard of these creatures, but there was a lot that they didn't know about this land.

Breathing with relief the former heir of Teico turned to his comrades, if one could call them that, but the two had a strange , distant look on their faces.

"What's going on you two?" he asked as he snapped his fingers in front of two, hoping to gain their attention.

"We-We n-need to p-p-pee." Thing #1 answered and the two rushed in a random direction, he knew that they had an ulterior motive, the shouts of "shut up I saw her first" may or may not have been an indicator of this.

Deciding that there was nothing better to do, searched for a fallen tree and sat down. He rested his polearm against it without hesitation as they were too far from the fort they had to capture for enemy scouts to arrive with enough energy to attempt an attack.

He reached inside his many pockets in the vest under the armour and brought out charcoal and a small notepad. Zaichi thanked that the moon was full above him and started to draw.

The strange creature was something unique and he hoped that he would do it justice to capture. Often in the past Zaichi had been praised for his skill with a brush and charcoal, even military life was no excuse for him to abandon his craft.

As he sketched the creature from his memory, the most of attention was spared on its extraordinary shape and the two tails, sadly there was no way for him to express the colour of its eyes.

Zaichi Teico was so enraptured in his work that he didn't even notice movement across just outside his immediate field of vision, only a small sound that he could only characterize as strange sounded in front of him and that was what made the young soldier to take his eyes off his sketchbook.

His eyes widened impressively as he witnessed the creature appear again, only this time right in front of him. It was sitting on the ground, its' twin tails like snakes swaying from side to side.

The animal was breath-taking, coat pitch black, with only stilted blue eyes giving the animal any colour.

"Hey there little guy" Zaichi greeted the beast, mocking himself that the animal could understand him "Do you want to stay a little bit, at least until I get the sketch done?"

The anima purred and continued to watch him. The young man smiled and continued his sketching.

Sketching was a sure way to transcend space and time, while he drew and painted the magnificent creature in front of him the passage of time was completely halted. In reality it was not so, but time always passed faster when doing something interesting or pleasant, like sleeping, for an example.

Now remained the hardest part- naming the animal.

Zaichi Teico thought long and hard, pretentious titles flew through his head until he settled for a simple one:

Two Tails.

Satisfied with his naming sense he looked at the small creature that was sitting in front of him and asked with good humour

"Is Two Tails a good name for you?"

"Why yes, I never thought you could reach that conclusion" the cat answered with a face splitting grin in a scratching voice.

What in Agni's name?!

Zaichi had never been so afraid in his life as he was now. Immediately he vaulted over the tree trunk and reached for his pole-axe, but it wasn't there.

The spirit had grown in the size of a man and was approaching him, with its daggerlike teeth showing, now he could see the blood on its paws. It was clear what had happened to Thing #1 and #2.

In fear he crawled backwards, trying not to soil himself and was about to rise up, before an armoured boot kicked him with his face first into the moss covered ground.

Now he knew that he was dead, but then the weight was removed from his body, allowing himself to raise his head. The strange man-eating spirit was nowhere to be seen, instead he could hear chuckling and the flipping of pages.

Zaichi quickly jumped up and whipped his head in the direction of the sound, looking to see his mysterious assailant and when he saw him, he thought that he could work with these chances.

The one who attacked him was a bit taller than him and roughly the same age, which wasn't saying much as Zaichi was of average height in Fire Nation.

He was clad in strange segmented black and silver armoured coat, with gold trim lapels, the smaller plates seemed to be held together by some sort of ties, while not completely alien in design, it had some far-off similarities to the ones Fire Nation generals wore, namely the shoulder pad size.

However, armour was not what terrified Zaichi. Face of the adversary and the wide assortment of weapons he carried was what gave him the fear of death.

It was the face not unlike that of the royal family, complete with the golden eyes and a grin that was eerily similar to the spirit, no demon. The arsenal also was impressive, ranging from blades of completely unknown design, strange tube-like instruments and small pouches dangling from his hips.

Currently his foe let the pole-axe lay on the ground not out of arms reach, while he browsed through his sketchbook with amusement, eyes sparkling and his unruly long black hair slightly moving in the wind.

Zaichi instantly jumped for the weapon and as soon as his fingers closed around the weapon, he turned his tumble into a combat roll, setting into stance in front of the stranger, axe raised to skewer him.

Then the bastard did the unthinkable, he threw his prized book into the air. The dishonoured noble roared in anger at the insult and sprung forward, with the full intent on ending his foes life.

As the polearm rapidly neared the stranger, he did nothing until the very last moment, sidestepping the his attack.

Zaichi was about to try again, but a hiss and the dull sound of wood getting hit, stopped him in his tracks as the pole axe suddenly lost its head, which was cleanly cut and laying on the ground harmlessly. His foe held the longest sword he had seen in his relatively short life in one hand, while he effortlessly caught Zaichi's prized sketchbook.

"Not bad, not bad, though the women need some work" the stranger commented. Zaichi felt some heat rise on his cheeks, but instead on falling into the opponents bait, he just readied his newly made quarterstaff in a defensive posture.

"Silent type, huh?" the man commented as his posture eased up and he sheathed his blade "We can work with that." He silently mumbled to himself, but Zaichi managed to hear it.

"Work with what?!" he bit out, enraged by the joking manner he was treating all of this. He gripped the staff tighter and started look for an escape route.

"I want you to be the first man to join my army" What?

WHAT?

"What?!" now Zaichi was clearly shouting.

"You heard me, join me in taking over this world and you will be handsomely rewarded. Ha!" the man was insane.

"Are you insane ?" Zaichi sneered and the man had the gall just to shake his head.

"Ha Ha Ha Ha, I was called the Great Fool once in a different life, but insanity is the farthest thing I offer for you. Do you want proof?" the man amicably laughed as slowly strode to the tree trunk and sat down.

For a long time Zaichi was silent, before everything he knew of the spirit world was challenged before his very eyes.

The demon appeared once more, before settling into the man's lap, mewling with contentment as the madman stroked the creature.

"Nibi, don't be act like that right now, we have work to do right now" he chastised the feline, who rolled its eyes and changed shape before his very eyes.

Gone was the beast, in its stead a very beautiful woman sat in madman's lap, purring and pressing her head in his chest, nuzzling the armour, tails curling around him.

"Do you believe me now?" the man grinned "Now sit down, listen of what I tell you and then you can decide."

The spirit-demon woman, smirked in his direction, revealing her sharp fangs and nails, Zaichi decided then and there that he was very lucky and it would be a gross disservice to his continued existence if he didn't at least hear out the man. Fire Nation soldier cautiously sat on the trunk near the man and so they sat in almost complete silence, save for the odd animal that could be heard in the night.

"I, Zaichi Teico, am a man with clear purpose in the world. Once I thought I had died. I was in a great misty forest, trees so high that even the lowest branch towered over three men standing on each other's shoulders. In the tree sat an owl, it showed me images of a world burning and a boy commanding the winds being turned to ashes. After that the fire burned out and eternal darkness came upon the land. In that moment a strange voice spoke inside my head commanding me, asking me to help the boy and the land fire had burned for the last century. In short: Depose the Firelord and hold onto whatever lands taken in the conquest." He spun his fantastic tale and with each word Zaichi Teico grew madder with fury. What the man told him was heresy of the highest order, nonsense of a madman and the impossible.

"QUIT YOUR BULLSHIT! FIRE NATION HAS FOUGHT BACK THE ENTIRE WORLD FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AND WE ARE WINNING! WHY SHOULD I TURN MY BACK ON MY LAND? JUST BECAUSE SOME INSANE BASTARD OFFERED ME POWER AND GLORY?! FORGET IT! I WOULD NEVER BETRAY MY COUNTRY!" He roared, spit flying, sadly not reaching the man or the demon. Zaichi, however didn't expect the man just to smile at this and as if nothing happened continued.

"I see you are a man loyal through and through. But you fail to consider why am I offering you, a bendingless outcast of Fire Nation, the role of my trusted retainer, not some Earth Kingdom grunt or a Water Tribe savages. I want Fire Nation to win, but there is too much set against your people. Gods themselves want you culled. Defanged. Subdued." This was not true, some drivel of an insane man Zaichi tried to convince himself, but the man refused.

"Nibi, please educate him on the why." He asked the beastly lady sitting in his lap, who looked at him with half lidded eyes and yawned louldly.

"Listen here insect. You know of Agni? Well guess who hand-picked this man for the destruction of your nation? He specifically instructed my master, Demon King of the Sixth heaven, Minister of Right, the Grand Fool of Owari- Oda Nobunaga to lay waste to everything you hold dear. Trust me, he comes from a world as war torn as yours, with fewer comforts and succeeded in unifying it, before his untimely demise. Now I normally don't care for humans, save as a snack or a pleasant waste of time, but he thinks you have potential." The demoness explained sneeringly as she threw her arms around now introduced Nobunaga's neck and purred as the man petted her while his amber eyes bore into his.

Zaichi felt numb. He desperately wanted to convince himself that what these two spoke of were lies and nonsense, but what they said had some merit and explained some things about the strange man known as Nobunaga, however, he needed more to decide.

"If Fire Nation is to lose, then how?" Zaichi asked.

"The Avatar lives and he will awaken in a very near future. Imagine how angry he will be with the Fire Nation when he rises, I imagine Fire Nation has very many, wrathful enemies and you must agree that the Avatar is one hell of a morale boost. Ozai is an unfit ruler, lax and obsessed with firebending and poisoned by his notions of his own legacy. Army which was the best in the world during Sozin's reign is now rampant with corruption. What I wish is to end the war with the least possible losses to Fire Nation and help it maintain its position as the dominant superpower of the world."

These worlds held merit. The young man fancied himself somewhat of a scholar and he knew what power the Avatar and his previous incarnations wielded. Corruption was rampant in the military and Navy, if stories about certain Captain Zhao were to be believed. He knew that there was a chance that this was all a lie and some elaborate ploy, but really there was no way he could pick another choice and live.

"There is not much of a choice in the matter I believe" Zaichi conceded and shot the demon a glare and scratched his chin.

"Excellent, fufufufufufu" Nobunaga threw back his head and laughed as the man submitted to his will.

Normally Zaichi would have been slightly disturbed by this behaviour, but now he was comforted by it and now he could clearly see the power emitted by the man in front of him. In him burned a flame that would put even the most gifted firebenders to shame.

His fate now was in the hands of the strange man and somehow in the five years since he had spent being disowned, he was at peace.

"There's White Lotus and other secret groups. How will we call ourselves?" Zaichi asked

"Why this is an excellent question, my dear Shogun." The Demon King of Sixth heaven said as he looked at the moon looming above them.

"All the world by force of arms" he said aloud, the newly dubbed Shogun was rather sceptical.

"It sounds inspiring my lord, but it's quite a mouthful" he pointed out

The demoness giggled at this, but a slight tug on her tails made her become very silent.

"Tenka Fubu. The World by force of arms, this is what Tenka Fubu is. Zaichi Teiko, we will wage war in secrecy, in silence, with deadly poison, with honeyed words, with deadly blows and soft touches. Zaichi Teiko, my loyal retainer, when everything else fails you, remember these words- Take the World by force of arms."

Nobunaga uttered these words and then in that moment Zaichi Teiko, formerly the heir of his family and soldier for the Fire Nation realized that he would walk together with the man that would challenge the very foundation this world stood on till the very end.

He hoped just hoped that they wouldn't destroy the world in the process or die half-way.


End file.
